Tears and Rain
by OCDdegrassi
Summary: When Charlie gets ready to move to Romania, he wants to believe that nothing is going to change between them. Percy doesn't agree. Incest.


**Title:** Tears and Rain  
 **Author:** OCDdegrassi  
 **Pairing:** Percy/Charlie  
 **Rating:** T (just to be safe for slightly vulgar language)  
 **Warnings:** Angst, Break-Up, Language  
 **Note:** The title is inspired by a song with the same name by James Blunt. Written for the "Stratified Agate Competition." Prompt: Write about your pairing caught in the rain together. For some reason, all of these prompts are inspiring me to write angsty break-ups. Damn you, Lamia!

xxx

"Percy, will you please talk to me?" Charlie begged, following his little brother as Percy strode across the yard towards the Burrow.

"There's nothing left to say, Charlie," Percy shot back, his voice clipped and cold. He would have sounded completely heartless to most people, but Charlie knew better. He knew that Percy closed himself off whenever he was feeling hurt; he bottled it away inside to fester until it finally exploded.

"It'll only be a few years before you graduate and can join me, and besides, I'll still come back to visit you, and we can write each other every day," Charlie tried to reason, but Percy scoffed.

"Yes, because most long-distance relationships work out just swimmingly," Percy deadpanned and Charlie sighed at his little brother's stubbornness.

"What do you want me to do? Stay here and just wait for you to graduate?" Charlie shot back. He was trying to stay calm, but he couldn't help the defensive tone that entered his voice. Percy rounded on him with fury blazing in his eyes.

"Of course I don't! How can you even say that? But there are plenty of dragon reserves in _this_ country! Why do you have to go to Romania?!" He yelled, and Charlie was glad that they were still far enough away from the Burrow that they didn't have to worry about being overhead. He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.

"It's one of the best dragon reserves in the world, Perce. It's a great opportunity for me," he said regretfully. Percy took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Well good for you then," he said calmly, his mask firmly back in place. He turned around and started to walk towards the house again, but Charlie grabbed his wrist. Percy opened his mouth to tell his older brother to shove off, but before anything came out, he felt cold drops of rain hit his arm. He looked up to the sky as it started to drizzle.

"Well that's just bloody great!" Percy shouted to no one in particular, trying to wrench his arm out of Charlie's grasp.

"Let go of me before we get soaked," he demanded, but Charlie shook his head stubbornly. 3 years. They had been together for _3 fucking years_ , and Percy just wanted to throw it all away.

"No. Not until we talk." Charlie wasn't going to give up on them that easily. They were worth fighting for.

"Charlie, it's raining," Percy said in exasperation, as if Charlie hadn't noticed it.

"I don't care!" the older redhead yelled back. He was frustrated beyond belief, and he just wanted Percy to stop being so damn logical and let himself believe that they could work.

The rain was pouring harder now and seeping through their clothes, but instead of feeling cold, Percy just felt numb. Thunder boomed in the distance, and Percy idly realized that the same thing was going on inside his head. It was swirling with anger, sadness, hurt, and confusion, all waiting to rip through his heart and tear it to pieces. He suddenly felt very tired.

"What do you want from me?" He asked quietly as drops of water fell down his face. Charlie was taken aback by the sudden change. Angry-Percy was something that he could handle; not resigned-Percy. Resigned-Percy was the one who had already given up, and Charlie wouldn't - couldn't - accept that.

"I want to know that we are going to be okay," he said with determination, and Percy let a pitiful laugh escape his lips.

"You and I both know that we won't be," he said bitterly. Charlie flinched back as if Percy had struck him.

"You don't know that," he whispered, hating the way that his voice sounded pleading, _desperate_. Percy gave him a sad little smile.

"Yes, I do," he replied softly. The silence seemed to stretch between them as the thunder roared in the distance. The rain was coming down in heavy sheets now so they were both completely soaked, their hair plastered to their heads with water.

Charlie felt sick. His eyes began to water, but he refused to let the tears fall. He didn't want this. He didn't want to lose Percy, but how was he supposed to give up an opportunity to achieve his dream so that he could wait around for him? His little brother would be in school for 3 more years.

If he settled and took a job around here that he didn't really want in order to wait for Percy like some lapdog, then he would always regret it. But he didn't want things to end with them either. This wasn't fair. Why did he have to give up on one dream for another?

"We can do this," Charlie tried one last time, silently pleading that Percy would agree. But Percy shook his head miserably, and when he looked back up, Charlie couldn't tell if the water in his eyes was from tears or the rain.

" _I_ can't. The distance will tear us apart until we feel like strangers when we do see each other. I can't just sit around and watch that happen, but I won't be able to stop it. I'm happy that you're getting your dream, I truly am, but it isn't my dream. I'm sorry." His voice felt hoarse.

He wanted Charlie to understand it from his point of view. He wanted his brother to realize that he hated this, but a long-distance relationship was never going to work. It had to be this way, no matter how much it hurt. He turned to walk inside again, and this time, Charlie let him go.

Charlie watched his younger brother walk away, taking both of their hearts with him. As the rain continued to fall, he finally let himself cry.

xxx

 **A/N:** Reviews are always appreciated.


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